阴雨 (yīn yǔ) — overcast and rainy (of weather)

Definition

verb
overcast and rainy (of weather)

Examples

  • 阴雨，。
    Zhè jǐ tiān yì zhí yīn yǔ, ràng rén xīn qíng bù hǎo.
    It's been overcast and rainy these days, making people feel down.
  • 阴雨。
    Nán fāng yīn yǔ de tiān qì hěn cháo shī.
    The overcast and rainy weather in the south is very humid.
  • 阴雨，。
    Míng tiān yīn yǔ, jì de dài sǎn.
    Tomorrow will be overcast and rainy; remember to bring an umbrella.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

阴yīncloudy
雨yǔrain

阴 (cloudy) and 雨 (rain) combine to mean overcast and rainy.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陰; 阴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
侌
侌yīn陰yīn
Same sound today

The traditional form 陰 combines 阜, the meaning part, with 侌, the sound part. The simplified 阴 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 阴 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 雨 is an old picture of a cloud with rain drops falling from it; the top line was added later.

Open 雨 →

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